


Choices

by miss_grey



Series: What We Do In The Dark [18]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Angst, Bitterness, Everyone is super protective of each other, Heartache, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Warning: it will be painful y'all, demon ron speirs, hunter carwood lipton, hunter dick winters, painful flirting, vampire nix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 07:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19246366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_grey/pseuds/miss_grey
Summary: They spent so long building it all up, and now, with a few simple words from Dick, it all comes crashing down.





	Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Well...here you go.

 

 

Carwood sat back on the couch, a frustrated frown firmly in place. He pulled out his phone.  “ _It’s gotten even worse.”_

Ron replied quickly.  _“What has?”_

_“The situation between my roommate and his friend.”_

_“How so?”_

_“Before, there was this…unbearable sexual tension while they flirted and danced around each other.  But something’s changed.  I think they had a fight or something.”_

_“What makes you think that?”_

_“They’re acting weird now.  Sitting on opposite sides of the room.  Barely looking at each other, except when they think the other isn’t looking.  Their smiles are fake.”_

_“Is there anything I can do to help?”_

_“No, I don’t think so.  I think they have to figure this one out on their own.  I just hope it’s soon, because it’s suffocating in this house.”_

_“You’re always welcome at mine.”_

Carwood smiled and fought back an accompanying blush.  Yeah, he might take Ron up on the offer, especially is this strange new tension continued between Dick and Nix.  Carwood thought it was bad when they were flirting, but now…now it was unbearable.  Both of them looked like they had dark clouds hovering over their heads.  They looked sad—like they wanted, no— _needed_ the other to comfort them, but for some reason, they wouldn’t do it.

Carwood shook his head.  He hoped they figured it out soon.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Dick knocked then leaned against the open doorframe.  Inside the room, Nix was folding his laundry—a strangely domestic task that nevertheless caused a pang in Dick’s chest.  “What’re you up to?”  Dick asked, trying for casual.

“Oh,” Nix said, looking up (as if he hadn’t heard Dick coming).  “Just…ya know.  Organizing.”

“Right.”  Dick’s eyes skipped over the bag and then came to focus on Nix’s big honey eyes.  “I had an idea.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.  I thought it might be good for us to get out tonight.  You know, get some fresh air, stretch our legs a bit.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Well, there are a few bars in town.  I thought maybe you, Lip, and I could head in for a couple drinks.  Relax.  Maybe play some darts or something.”

Nix quirked a brow.  “You don’t drink, Dick.”

Dick huffed.  “I can get a soda.  It’s about the atmosphere, anyway.”  He folded his arms uncomfortably in front of his chest.  “I just thought…you know.  It’s something we can all do.  And I think it’ll do us all good to get out for a night.”

Nix stared at him for a moment, then he smiled thinly.  “Alright.  When did you want to go?”

Dick shrugged.  “Maybe in about an hour or so?”

“Okay.”

 

* * *

 

 

Lip insisted on driving.  Dick would have fought him on it, but that would’ve made the whole situation even more awkward by drawing attention to the fact that Dick didn’t like his seating options.  He wasn’t about to sit in the passenger seat and relegate Nix to the back all by himself (that would defeat the whole purpose of this outing) and he knew that Lip wouldn’t appreciate being alone in the front with Nix.  So, despite the tension between them, Dick slid into the backseat next to Nix, who slouched casually and still managed to look handsome and charming in his dark jeans and blue button-up, with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and his hair artfully mussed.

The drive into town was a quiet one, and Dick hated it.  He hated it so much, but he didn’t know how to change it.  Didn’t know how to fix this…thing.  How could he?  How could he fix this when he wasn’t sure what he wanted, and when he was the one to make it like this in the first place?  He’d never felt so discontent in his life, and it frustrated him.  It’d be a hell of a lot easier if he could just make up his mind about what he wanted.  He didn’t think he could be with Nix…but he also didn’t seem to want the vampire to leave him.  Dick huffed.  Across the seat, Nix turned his dark eyes to him, concerned, despite his recent effort at nonchalance.

It was a relief to get out of the SUV and stretch their legs on the short, brisk walk to the bar.  Dick had been once or twice with Lip and some of the other hunters, but that had been a while ago.  Not being a drinker, bars weren’t really his scene.  Still, he didn’t mind it if it meant they could get out of the stifling house for a few hours and attempt to relax.  Attempt to find their new equilibrium. 

The place was fairly crowded when they entered, Lip leading, and Nix following after Dick.  They were able to spot a table near the back of the bar, though, near the darts.  Lip took the seat closest to the wall, which conveniently left two seats (next to each other) open.  Nix eyed the hunter for a moment before he took a seat.  Dick stood next to the table, feeling out of his element but attempting not to show it.  “I’ll get the first round,” he said, “what do you guys want to drink?”

“Rum and coke,” Lip said, and Nix couldn’t help the little smirk that curled his lips when he said “whiskey,” because both he and Dick knew that wasn’t his drink of choice.  He leaned back against the wall and gazed up at Dick.  “What are _you_ having, Red?”

“Just a sprite, I think.”  Dick said, trying not to squirm under Nix’s gaze.  “I’ll be right back.”

He tapped his fingers on the bar, fidgety despite his best efforts.  Luckily, the bartender was attentive and served up the drinks quickly.  When Dick returned to the table, he realized that Lip and Nix had both just been sitting there quietly. 

“Here you go,” Dick said, passing the drinks around.  When he handed Nix the whiskey, their fingers brushed, and he felt a shiver go down his spine, but he ignored it.

“Cheers,” Nix said, then drained the drink in a single go. 

Dick frowned at him.  “You want another?” 

“It’s probably for the best,” Nix admitted.  “I’ll get it, though.” 

He skirted around Dick’s chair, being sure not to brush against him as he went.  While he waited at the bar, a young woman leaned over and said something to him.  He chuckled.  Dick frowned.  Dick tapped his fingers against the side of his sprite, and across from him, Lip watched, concerned.  “Are you guys alright?”  He asked.

“Fine,” Dick lied.  “We’re fine.  Why?”

“Something just seems…off, with you two.  You’re not acting how you usually do around each other.”

Dick swallowed thickly.  “What do you mean?”

Lip stared at him.  “I mean you guys are acting like strangers who are being forced to share a room instead of…whatever you were before.  It feels…strained.”

“Sorry,” Dick murmured, “I didn’t mean to make things uncomfortable for you, Lip.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about, Dick.  I’m worried about you, man.  You know you’re my best friend, and right now you don’t seem happy.  You seem really upset, actually.  Did something happen?  On the hunt?”

Dick ran a hand through his short red hair and gazed at the bar, where Nix had turned and was still speaking with the pretty young woman.  “Not exactly.  We just…had a misunderstanding.”

Lip frowned.  “What kind of misunderstanding?”  He turned and watched Nix joke with the young woman.

“Doesn’t matter.”  Dick murmured.  “We’re just…trying to get things back on track again.”

Lip watched Nix for another minute, then shook his head.  “If you say so.”

A moment later, Nix was back with a second whiskey.  He slid into his seat.  “This place isn’t so bad,” he said, taking a sip.

“Yeah.”  Dick forced a grin.  “You guys up for a game of darts?  I haven’t played in a while.”

Nix shrugged.  “If you want to lose, Dick.”

Dick quirked a brow.  “You sound awfully sure of yourself, Nix.”

“Well, yeah.  You still wanna do this?”

“Definitely.”  Dick smirked.  “Lip, you in?”

Lip shrugged and held up his drink.  “I’ll play whoever wins.”

Back in college, Dick had been great at darts, even holding the record score in his dorm.  So he felt pretty confident walking into this particular competition.  However, it became obvious after two throws that Nix was better.  Of course.  Stronger, faster, better eye-sight.  The vampire scored two bullseyes in a row, then smirked over at Dick.  “What does the winner get?”  He asked.  His eyes flickered down to Dick’s lips, briefly, before he pulled them back up to Dick’s eyes.

Dick fought back a blush—it wasn’t like that, _it wasn’t like that_ —and he said “Another drink.”

“Great.”  Then Nix proceeded to destroy him, one dart at a time.  After the round was over, he said “I’d love another whiskey.”  As Dick huffed and made his way toward the bar, he heard Nix offer “Wanna go, Lipton?”

Lip sighed “Might as well,” he muttered.

There were no bets on that round, though Lip lost just as badly as Dick had. 

After those two rounds, Dick shifted in his seat.  “So… I guess darts are out.”

Nix snorted.  “Unless you want to lose again.”  Nix leaned over to nudge Dick with his shoulder.  “What do you think, Dick?  Again?”

Dick frowned.  “No.  I know when I’ve been beat.”

Nix chuckled.  “Never stopped you before,” he nearly purred.

And yeah, Dick couldn’t fight the blush that time.  He remembered pinning Nix to the grass, straddling him, thinking for a moment that he’d actually won, before he realized that Nix had let him.  “Right.”  Dick eyed Nix’s half-drunk whiskey.  “You still drinking this?”  He asked, then before Nix could reply, he reached over, grabbed it, and swallowed it down before he could think too long about it.  It burned all the way down his throat and he closed his eyes, wincing.

When he opened his eyes, Nix was staring at him, mouth agape, dark eyes concerned.

“What was that about?”  Lip asked.

“First time for everything, right?”  Dick asked, staring at Nix, challenging him to say something about it.

“We should probably head back,” Nix said abruptly, rising to his feet.

“No, it’s fine.”  Dick said.  “Not as bad as I thought it’d be.  In fact, it tasted good.”

Nix’s eyes dropped to Dick’s lips, and Dick knew he was thinking about the glass, about how both their lips had touched the rim.  Thinking about a couple nights before, when their lips had touched each other.  “You don’t drink, Dick.”  He murmured.

Dick snorted.  “I don’t do a lot of things, Nix.”

Nix’s eyes narrowed.  “Right.”

Lip shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  “I do think it’s probably time to head back, though, Dick,” he murmured.  “We’ve been out for a while.”

Dick glanced over at his friend and fought to get his heartrate under control.  What was he doing, exactly?  Did he plan to get drunk?  Start a fight with Nix?  Challenge him to make a move after he’d already told him not to?  Maybe Lip was right.  It was time to go.  Dick’s shoulders sagged.  “You’re right.  Let’s go.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lip led the way out of the bar and Dick followed stiffly, with Nix bringing up the back, a brooding look on his face.  The street was abandoned (even though it was only edging on 11pm), and so the only sounds were their footsteps.  They filed along the road, each trapped in their own thoughts, then they turned the corner toward the car and everything suddenly changed.

It seemed to happen all at once.

The dark figure of a man materialized in front of them, having turned the corner from the opposite direction.  Lip cocked his head, confused, and called “Ron?” 

Dick felt a chill go up his spine, and then suddenly Nix, obviously panicked, shouted “Dick!  It’s the demon!”  Dick felt Nix’s hand close on his upper arm, and then he was shoved forcefully to the side and he tumbled, end over end, and rolled to a stop on the pavement a distance away.  Nix stalked forward, placing himself directly between Dick and the demon, and Lip fell back, looking between the demon and Nix with a dawning look of horror on his face.

“Nix!”  Dick gasped, the wind knocked out of him.

The demon tore its gaze away from Lip and squared its shoulders, stalking toward Nix, snarling.  It thrust its hand forward and Dick noticed an eerie glow surrounding it—and he suddenly remembered everthing.

_Vampires’ bodies, bent and broken.  Seemingly burned out of existence.  Utterly destroyed._   And now that same demon strode toward Nix, eyes blazing.  Nix’s hands shook where they were balled at his sides, but still he made no move to run.  Instead, he planted himself between the Dick and the advancing demon.  Though Dick knew he must be terrified, there was no trace of fear or nerves on Nix’s face—only a stubborn determination and a furrowing of his brows. The demon approached.

“Nix!”  Dick gasped again, lungs heaving, and struggled to get his feet under him.  But everything was happening too fast, and he knew he’d never make it to Nix in time.  “Nix!!!!”  He screamed.

“Ron, no!”  Lip shouted, but it didn’t make sense, didn’t register.  The demon cast its eyes toward Lip for just a moment before charging at Nix again, and Nix held his ground, eyes fixed on the demon’s glowing hands. 

Everything slowed then, and Dick saw it in heartbeats—Lip shouting to the side, the demon stalking forward, eyes dark, and Nix, standing there, steady, ready to face down a demon that killed vampires.  Dick could see it, could imagine it— _the demon’s hands on Nix’s chest, burning, Nix crying out in pain, crumpling as his legs gave out, and the thing that made him Nix being burnt away, his body falling and blank eyes gazing up at Dick_.  Dick’s heart kicked in his chest and he felt the swell of panic, and then adrenaline push through his veins.  He crawled to his knees, and, as loud as he could, shouted “ _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio…”_

The demon jerked to a stop like he’d been punched in the gut, and his eyes turned toward Dick.  Lip looked at him, too, and screamed “Dick no!  Stop!  Stop!”  The demon took another step toward Nix.

“ _Omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo, omnis legio diabolica, adiuramus te…cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare,”_ Dick panted, his fingers curling against the pavement.  The demon stopped again, bent double, its glowing hand still outstretched toward Nix, only inches away from where he stood, stunned. 

“No, Dick!  Dick, stop! Stop!!!!”  Lip cried.

Dick ignored him.  The demon was almost to Nix, was reaching for him, was going to kill him, was _going to kill him,_ and Dick would be damned before he let it touch him.  Dick continued to chant, his memory taking over, as his eyes scanned the scene, attempting to understand everything he was seeing—Lip standing to the side, reaching for—who?  The demon?  Dick?  Screaming for Dick to stop.  Dick couldn’t.  He couldn’t.  He had to keep going.  It was the only thing.  The only thing he could do.  He couldn’t stop.  Nix seemed to shake, but he didn’t step back, he kept himself planted firmly between Dick and the demon, even though they all knew what that would mean for him.  Dick’s heart thundered in his chest, the beat pushing out word after word, and the demon had halted, was doubled over now, clutching at its belly and its chest, its hands returned to normal.  “ _Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, AUDI NOS!!!_ ”  Dick shouted.

The demon’s eyes flickered, like flames burned through them, and it fell to its knees, clawing at the ground as it gasped. 

Lip screamed “Dick!  No!!!!”

Then the demon reached out, one last time, and its hand turned to ash a moment before the rest of its body did, and it crumbled, turning to ash and smoke.  And then it was gone, and Lip collapsed to his knees, a heart-rending sob ripping from his throat.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Remember friends, comments are love! Please let me know what you think. And also feel free to come say hi on tumblr. I'm @realhunterswearplaid.


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